Solar and Wind Power

If you’re new to solar power, you may want to start with building your own portable solar generator – even if you have no experience, it’s easy to figure out and it’s certainly easier to build and maintain than a full-fledged system. Plus, if you go on a lot of camping trips it can be quite convenient.

You can spend under $200 to create your very own portable generator – and it can pay for itself within only a few weeks.

To build it, you’ll need: 1) the solar panel itself 2) a charge controller 3) a battery and 4) an inverter. Try to make the solar panel small, because you’ll be carrying it around all the time.

A 12-Volt solar panel should be all that you need for small appliances and camping trips. The charge controller limits how much power is drawn, and will greatly extend your batter life once you attach it.

The energy collected by your solar panel is stored by the battery, and you can then use it whenever you need it. The direct current electricity that you get is converted into alternating current by the inverter.

To make your generator, first connect the solar panel to the charge controller. The controller should then connect to the battery, and the battery should connect to the inverter – and the inverter should connect to the appliance that you’re using.

If you want to acquire these parts, you could go to your local hardware store – or just find someone on Craigslist who’s selling them or giving them away.

If you want to add even more to this setup, you could start with a “battery box” to protect everything and keep it safe from the weather. A system meter, to tell you how full your battery is and how much power is being drawn, could also help you out with finding and detecting problems early on.